Cartridge feed mechanism especially



R. REDPATH.

CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-10. 1911.

1 ,312,048. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET R. REDPATH. CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM ESPEClALLYAPPLICABLE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 10. 191 I. '1 ,3 1 2,048, Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHING-TON, D. c.

R. REDPATH.

CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 10, 1917.

Patented Aug. 5 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

R. REDPATH. CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR AUTOMATICGUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1917. 1,312,048. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

ROBERT REDZPllTl-I, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE COVENTRYORDINANCE WORKS, LIMITED, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

Application filed October 10, 1917. Serial No. 195,736.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT REDPATH, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Ordnance Works, Coventry, England, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Cartridge-Feed Mechanism EspeciallyApplicable for Automatic Guns, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in cartridge feed mechanismespecially applicable for automatic guns.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings which show itas adapted to the automatic gun described in my application, Serial No.195,735, filed October 10, 1917, the parts being numbered as in thedrawings of that specification. Figure 1 is a vertical section of themagazine and part of the gun, Fig. 2 is a rear view and Figs. 3 and 4show the feed cams in two positions.

31 is a magazine secured above the cradle 2 and adapted to hold fiverounds one above the other. The rounds are pressed toward the gun by alever 32 pivoted to the front of the magazine at 33 and having its shortarm actuated by a spring inclosed in a telescopic casing 34 pivoted tothe cradle, so that the rounds are pushed toward the gun. When the rearof the barrel 1 has moved forward sufficiently far after its rearwardmovement due to recoil, the lever 32 pushes the rear of the lowest rounddown as far as it is allowed to move by ledges 35 one on each side ofthe magazine. This, however, is sufiicient to bring the rim into thepath of the front of the breech block 3 which has been retained in itsrearward position while the barrel 1 has been run out. vAs the breechblock begins to move forward a groove 38 on the right of the block 3actuates a spring plunger 39 to lift a rod 40 in guides 41; the top ofthe rod is slotted at 42 to embrace a pin 43 upon a quadrant 44 fast ona spindle 45 7 this quadrant has upon it teeth meshing with Ward the twocams 52 are moved quickly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to thatshown in Fig. 4 to lower the projectile, so that the continued movementof the breech block can thrust it into the chamber, and this continuedmovement also, owing to the shape of the groove 38, returns the cams 52to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that they catch the projectile ofthe next round. It will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that the cams are soshaped that they prevent the second round from descending during thegreater part of their movement. The groove 38 is so shaped that nomovement of the plunger 39 takes place on recoil.

When the last round leaves the magazine,

a spring in a box 62 presses against an arm 63 which projects into thebottom of the magazine and has hitherto been prevented from movement bythe presence of the last round. This arm is fast on a spindle 64 towhich is fast another arm 65 pivoted to the top of a rod 66, the lowerend of which is pivoted to an arm 67 on a longitudinal shaft 68journaled in bearings 69 on the right of the cradle 2. At the rear ofthis spindle is 5. toe 70 which is thus raised into the path of aprojection 71 on a lug 20, depending from a sleeve 5 in the breech block3, so that the breech is held open until a fresh charge has been placedin the magazine, whereupon the toe can be moved out of the path of theprojection by means of a handle 7 2 on the arm 65.

What I claim is 1. In cartridge feed mechanism, a magazine adapted tocontain a number of cartridges, a pair of longitudinal spindles arrangedone on each side of the magazine, a toothed quadrant upon each spindle,a transverse rack meshing with each quadrant, a

lever pivoted to the two racks, a feed cam fast on the forward end ofeach spindle and adapted to support the cartridges in the magazine andto move them toward the gun one at a time and means for rotating one ofthe spindles.

2. In an automatic gun, a magazine adapted to contain a number ofcartridges, a pair of feed cams adapted to support the cartridges, meansfor turning the cams simultaneously in opposite directions, an armadapted, when the last cartridge has left the magazine, to project intothe magazine, a spring adapted so to project the arm into the magazine,a breech block capable of sliding movement along the axis of the gun, alongitudinal shaft adapted to retain the'block in its rearward positionand means whereby the movement of the armrotates the shaft.

3. In an automatic gun, a magazine adapted to contain a number ofcartridges, a pair of longitudinal spindles arranged one at each side ofthe magazine, a toothed quadrant on each spindle, a transverse rackmeshing with each quadrant, a lever pivoted to the racks, a feed cam onthe forward end of each spindle and adapted to support the cartridges inthe magazine and to move them 15 toward the gun one at a time, a breechblock copies of this patent may be ebtained for capable of slidingmovement along the axis of the gun, means whereby the first part of theforward movement of the breech block rotates one'of the spindles, an armadapted, when the last cartridge has left the magazine, to project intothe magazine, a spring adapted so to project the into the magazine, alongitudinal shaft adapted to retain the block in its rearward positionand means whereby the'movement of the arm rotates the shaft. V

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname this 23rd day of August,'1917.

' ROBERT vREDPATH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. c,

